At a Wired event in San Francisco, AMD’s Lisa Su said the company holds licenses to ship some MI308 AI accelerators to China and would pay a 15% fee if those orders move. That fee stems from a Trump-era arrangement with Nvidia and AMD, though legal experts question its constitutionality. China urged supply-chain stability while pushing data centers toward domestic chips. MI308 targets export rules but still faces limits. The story remains fluid as both countries adjust policies and vendors hedge their China strategies.
Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, said on Thursday that AMD holds export licenses for a portion of its MI308 artificial intelligence accelerators and stands ready to remit a 15% duty to the United States Treasury should those shipments proceed. She delivered the remarks during a Wired conference in San Francisco.
In August, President Trump announced that his administration had negotiated an arrangement with Nvidia and AMD that would allow the companies to resume limited shipments of certain chips to China, provided they pay a 15% fee. Legal scholars contend that this fee may conflict with the constitutional prohibition against export taxes.
On Friday, China’s foreign ministry responded by urging the United States to implement concrete measures that preserve the stability and smooth operation of global supply chains.
The MI308 accelerator represents a scaled‑down version of AMD’s Instinct MI300X line, engineered to satisfy US export control parameters for the Chinese market. In April, US authorities placed the MI308 under export restrictions alongside Nvidia’s H20 accelerator.
Additionally, the Chinese government issued guidance mandating that newly funded data-center projects use only domestically produced AI chips, a policy that will impact American suppliers such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel; Moore Threads is a leading contender for that business.
The interplay of these regulatory actions creates a complex environment for semiconductor firms seeking to balance compliance with market access. AMD’s willingness to accept the fee reflects a strategic approach to maintaining a presence in China while adhering to US policy.
The situation remains fluid as legislators consider further restrictions and as China advances its domestic semiconductor capabilities. Observers note that the outcome of these negotiations will shape future trade dynamics, influence investment decisions in the semiconductor sector, and determine the pace at which global AI infrastructure evolves for both governments and industry stakeholders alike.
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